1,050 homes granted planning last year

Some 1,050 homes were granted planning permission in Westmeath last year, new figures from the Central Statistics Office can reveal.

Of these homes 296 were apartments, 102 were one-off houses and 652 were part of multi-unit developments.

The floor space of these units in their entirety would cover 119,000 sq ft if they are seen through to completion.

Westmeath ranked eight of all counties in Ireland in terms of the total number of homes approved in 2023.

The total number of applications approved in the county last year was 396.

Of these, 137 were in relation to homes, 125 were other types of buildings, 88 were extensions to existing buildings and 46 were conversions.

The total number of homes approved in Ireland last year was 41,225, up 21% from the year previous.

Apartments accounted for more than half (52% or 21,487 units) of the total units granted permission in 2023.